Key Terms
- association
- groups of companies or institutions that organize around a common set of concerns, often within a given industry or trade
- astroturf movement
- a political movement that resembles a grassroots movement but is often supported or facilitated by wealthy interests and/or elites
- Citizens United
- Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was a 2010 Supreme Court case that granted corporations and unions the right to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections
- collective good
- a good such as public safety or clean air, often produced by government, that is generally available to the population as a whole
- contract lobbyist
- a lobbyist who works for a contract lobbying firm that represents clients before government
- disturbance theory
- the theory that an external event can lead to interest group mobilization
- efficacy
- the belief that you make a difference and that government cares about you and your views
- elite critique
- the proposition that wealthy and elite interests are advantaged over those without resources
- fragmentation
- the result when a large interest group develops diverging needs
- free rider problem
- the situation that occurs when some individuals receive benefits (get a free ride) without helping to bear the cost
- grassroots movement
- a political movement that often begins from the bottom up, inspired by average citizens concerned about a given issue
- in-house lobbyist
- an employee or executive within an organization who works as a lobbyist on behalf of the organization
- inside lobbying
- the act of contacting and taking the organization’s message directly to lawmakers in an attempt to influence policy
- iron triangle
- three-way relationship among congressional committees, interests groups, and the bureaucracy
- issue network
- a group of interest groups and people who work together to support a particular issue or policy
- legislative liaison
- a person employed by a governmental entity such as a local government, executive department, or university to represent the organization before the legislature
- lobbyist
- a person who represents an organization before government in an attempt to influence policy
- material incentives
- substantive monetary or physical benefits given to group members to help overcome collective action problems
- membership organization
- an interest group that usually consists of dues-paying members who organize around a particular cause or issue
- neopluralist
- a person who suggests that all groups’ access and influence depend on the political environment
- outside lobbying
- the act of lobbying indirectly by taking the organization’s message to the public, often through the use of the media and/or by issue press releases, in hopes that the public will then put pressure on lawmakers
- particularized benefit
- a benefit that generally accrues to a narrow segment of society
- pluralist
- a person who believes many groups healthily compete for access to decision-makers
- public interest group
- an interest group that seeks a public good, which is something that accrues to all
- purposive incentives
- benefits to overcome collective action problems that appeal to people’s support of the issue or cause
- revolving door laws
- laws that require a cooling-off period before government officials can register to lobby after leaving office
- soft money
- money that interests can spend on behalf of candidates without being restricted by federal law
- solidary incentives
- benefits based on the concept that people like to associate with those who are similar to them
- voting cues
- sources—including fellow lawmakers, constituents, and interest groups—that lawmakers often use to help them decide how to vote, especially on unfamiliar issues
